Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE JACOB L. DUNCAN, OF FREMONT, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part oi" Letters Patent No. 142,998, datedSeptember 23, 1873; application iiled J une 28, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAooB L. DUNCAN, of Fremont, in the county ofSandusky and State of Ohio, have invented a new and ImprovedCar-Coupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings making part of this speoiication, in which- Figure1 is a top view of the coupling. Fig. 2 is a section taken verticallyand longitudinally through the coupling applied to oarplati'ornls. Fig.3 is a section taken horizontally through the coupling. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of one of the coupling-pins.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalgures.

This invention relates to certain improvements on self car-couplers forrailroad-cars, wherein spring-jaws are applied in the coupling-heads orbui'ers, so as to spring open and receive between them arrow-pointedcouplingbars when cars are brought together, said jaws being providedwith uncoupling-rods, which extend up through the car-platforms, andhave pawls and ratchets for holding the jaws apart, when necessary. Myobject is to provide the jaws of each coupling-head with anarrow-pointed coupling-rod, which is per-V manently but not rigidlyapplied between the jaws, as will be hereinafter explained; also, toprovide for coupling cars ofdifferent heights without readjusting thecoupling-rods.

The following description of my invention will enable othersvskilled inthe art to understand it.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent two coupling-heads orbuffers, which are constructed with rear reduced extensions B B, forreceiving springs S S, that allow the necessary elastic endwise play tothe heads. The heads are applied beneath car-platforms G G, in the usualwell-known manner. Each coupling-head A is recessed to receive twolaterally-vibrating coupling-jaws, J J, which are connected to theirheads by means of vertical pivotscc. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 3.) Thesejaws J J have shoulders n a formed on their inner faces, behind whichshoulders are vertical recesses o o, and behind these latter the tailsof the jaws are beveled and receive between them one or more springs, g,and a vertical rod, b. The spring or springs g act to close the frontshouldered ends of the jaws J, and the rod b, which can be rotated inits bearings, is connected by chains c c to the tails of the jaws forthe purpose of opening their front ends to release the coupling-rod a.The rod b extends up through the platform G, and has a hand wheel orcrank applied on its upper end. A ratchet-wheel, b', is also keyed tothe rod b, with which a pawl, t, is made to engage, when it is desiredto hold open the coupling ends of the jaws J, to which pawls a suitablespring may be applied, if desired, for keeping it in contact with itsratchet-wheel. The recesses o o have, in addition to the shoulders n a,two shoulders, q q, which receive behind them the arrow-head ends a2 ofa coupling-pin, a, and the recesses o o receive between them theenlarged quadrangular portions al of the coupling-pin, between which andthe head a2 is a neck, a4, as shown in Fig. 3. By these means thecoupling-pin is permanentl y but loosely attached to the couplingjaws,so that, while it is allowed to receive all the necessary play, itcannot be removed from its place, and while this is the case the coupling-piu will always be held in proper position for effecting a coupling.Each coupling-head A is provided with a coupling-pin, either one or bothof which may be used, as circumstances require, and either one or bothof which will couple cars whose platforms are ot' different heights,owing to the vertical depth given to the jaws J J. The coupling head a3of each pin a is shaped like an arrow-head-that is to say, it is beveledlaterally, so that when cars are brought together such head will ofitself spread open the jaws J J, and enter the space formed by therecesses o o.

Fig. 4 shows clearly the shape of my coupling-pin a. Its arrow-head a3has a hole vertically through it, by means of which this end may becoupled to cars wherein the well-known links and vertical pins areused.. By winding the chains e e upon the rod b, and thus opening thecoupling ends of the jaws J J, and holding them open by engaging thepawl t with ratchet wheel b, these jaws will not close on the head a3 ofa coupling-pin of another car; and when the jaws of both coupling-headsA A are similarly held open, cars may be backed about-011 sidings in ayard Without being coupled together.

It will be seen, by reference to Fig. 3, that ribs ff are formed on thevertical inner sides ofthe coupling-heads, and that shoulders f f areformed on the outer sides of the jaws J J, which shoulders are behindthe said ribs, thus preventing the 'drawing action on the jaws fromstraining the pivot-pins c o.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent. is

l. Laterally-movable coupling-jaws J J, pivpurposes described.

JACOB L. DUN GAN.

Witnesses:

JNO. ELWELL, ORRELL I. I. RARICK.

